kellycrull.com - expat life in Spain

Some American friends and I were at a terrace tonight for drinks. It was a goodbye party of sorts for one of our friends, Zach, who is headed back to California. He was in Madrid for a year studying at the university through a study-abroad program. One of us asked Zach what he was craving to have when he got back to the States. What foods would he eat. What drinks would he drink.

These kinds of questions have almost become a ritual. When you’re living in a foreign country and one of your fellow countrymen heads back home, you ask them to tell you first about all the things they’ve been craving from home and then about how they will indulge themselves and satisfy all their cravings. The whole process is very drawn out with poetic gestures and plenty of embellishment. For an American it might be something like, “I’ll go the grocery store and find the biggest package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cuts I can find.” For my English friends, they talk about Vimto and gravy granules. In all cases, there are nods of approval all around.

So my friends and I at the terrace followed in suit and asked the question. At the same time, our waiter came around with a tray-full of glasses and bottles.

An easy one for Zach. “Free refills,” he said–welcome words to any American I know. In The States, free refills are a standard. In Europe, refills don’t exist.

“Americans love free refills” was the new anthem at our table. My friends explained it to me this way. It’s simple. You get more for less. A Coke costs about the same in the States as it does in Europe. The size is what counts. In the States the smallest serving size for a beverage is a 12 ounce (oz) can. However, most Americans drink 20 oz. or larger bottles or they get free refills at a restaurant, which gives you the freedom to drink as much as you like.

In Europe, most places serve Coke in a bottle that (according to U.S. measurements) is a mere 6.7 oz. That’s roughly half as much Coke as the smallest serving size in the States. It’s infinitely less Coke than getting free refills.

So my friends have a point. If you want more for less, free refills is the way to go.

Still, I’m not convinced.

Actually, I’d like to suggest a new way of looking at refills. I’m going to stick up for the tiny European 20cl bottles of Coke.

My friends want more for less. But maybe we need to clarify what it is we want more of. I think what my friends want is more quantity. They want more Coke for less money. And actually, that’s what I don’t get.

To me, sitting out on a terrace having a drink is not about quantity. I only plan on being out for an hour or so. One drink is usually sufficient for me. Also, most of the beverages served on a terrace aren’t particularly healthy. If I can get by with one drink, it’s a healthier option. I’ll order a drink to sip on because it’s good-tasting and refreshing, not because I can get more.

Even if health isn’t an option and one drink won’t hold you over for an evening, I still think the argument holds. Having a drink isn’t about quantity. It’s about quality. Of course, a Coke is a Coke. It’s the same drink. Same taste. But I think a bottle of Coke becomes more tasty and refreshing when I know I only have one bottle to drink. Because a bottle of Coke is a limited amount, it becomes more valuable to me than a 32 oz. paper cup I can refill as many times as I want. Because I know I only have 20cl of Coke to drink, I enjoy every sip.

Here’s an analogy from personal experience. I gave my friend Samuel a 4-pound jar of peanut butter for Christmas. In the States, you wouldn’t give someone peanut butter for Christmas. It would be like wrapping up something incredibly normal like a bag of pasta and giving it to your friend as a birthday present. But because Shmuel and I live in Madrid where peanut butter is hard to come by and costs more than any of us want to pay, peanut butter is something special. In fact, I bought that 4-pound jar of peanut butter in the States when I was home for Christmas, and I brought it all the way back to Spain with me just to give to Samuel.

Samuel and I both have people from the States bringing us jars of peanut butter a few times a year. They must think we’re nuts.

The point is I enjoy my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like I never have before. I know they’re special. They’re a limited commodity. I savor every bite. And it’s the same with a bottle of Coke.

In the end, I say less is more.